Author Archives: Helen Hegener

About Helen Hegener

Author and publisher, Northern Light Media

A One-Thousand-Mile Race

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Helen Hegener

Joe Redington, Sr., known as the “Father of the Iditarod,” was born on February 1, 1917, in a tent on the banks of the Cimarron River, north of Kingfisher, Oklahoma, on the famous Chisholm Trail. It was a fitting … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Books, Sled Dog Races | Tagged Anchorage, Dick Mackey, Helen Hegener, Iditarod, Isaac Okleasik, Joe Redington, Knik, Leonhard Seppala, mushing, mushing history, Nome, Northern Light Media, sled dog race | Leave a comment

The First Iditarod

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Helen Hegener

The book I’m currently working on is the result of several years of researching, interviewing, and writing, beginning with an idea which took shape in 2007. That’s when I learned that a musher from the very first Iditarod Trail Sled … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Books | Tagged 1973, Barry MacAlpine, Helen Hegener, Herbie Nayokpuk, Iditarod, Joe Redington, Northern Light Media, sled dog race, sled dog racing, sled dogs | 1 Comment

Baldy of Nome

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Helen Hegener

Scotty Allan’s Legendary Leader A chapter from Along Alaskan Trails, Adventures in Sled Dog History In Esther Birdsall Darling’s classic book, Baldy of Nome, a story is told of a driverless dog team in the 60-mile-long Solomon Derby, a race … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, Books | Tagged Alaska, All Alaska Sweepstakes, Allan Alexander Allan, Baldy of Nome, Helen Hegener, mushing, mushing history, Nome, Northern Light Media, Percy Blatchford, Scotty Allan, sled dog race, sled dog racing, sled dogs | Leave a comment

A Look at The Yukon Quest Trail

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Helen Hegener

The newest book from Northern Light Media is a captivating journey traced each February by hardy mushers and their teams of lionhearted sled dogs, traveling, as the subtitle states, ‘1,000 miles across northern Alaska and the Yukon Territory.’ Over frozen … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Sled Dog Races | Tagged Alaska, Dawson City, Eric Vercammen, Fairbanks, Helen Hegener, Lance Mackey, mushing, mushing history, Northern Light Media, Robert Service, Scott Chesney, sled dog race, sled dog racing, sled dogs, The Spell of the Yukon, Whitehorse, Yukon Quest | 1 Comment

The Yukon Quest Trail

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Helen Hegener

The Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race spans some of the harshest and most beautiful winter territory anywhere: 1,000 miles between Fairbanks, Alaska and the city of Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon Territory. Known as ‘The World’s Toughest Sled Dog Race,’ it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Sled Dog Races | Tagged Alaska, Dawson City, Eric Vercammen, Fairbanks, Helen Hegener, Lance Mackey, mushing, mushing history, Northern Light Media, Scott Chesney, sled dog race, sled dog racing, sled dogs, Whitehorse, Yukon Quest | Leave a comment

The Yukon Quest Trail

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Helen Hegener

The Yukon Quest Trail: 1,000 Miles Across Northern Alaska and the Yukon Territory, by Helen Hegener, will be published by Northern Light Media in December, 2014. With over 180 full-color photographs by the author and by photographers Eric Vercammen and … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Sled Dog Races | Tagged Dawson City, Eric Vercammen, Fairbanks, Helen Hegener, Iditarod, John Schandelmeier, mushing, Northern Light Media, Scott Chesney, sled dog race, sled dogs, Whitehorse, Yukon Quest, Yukon River | Leave a comment

Spirit of the Wind: The George Attla Story

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Helen Hegener

Sorry, this DVD has sold out again! The film is available to watch on YouTube at this link. The award-winning 1979 movie Spirit of the Wind is based upon the early life and rise to prominence of the legendary Athabaskan trapper and dog musher … Continue reading →

Posted in Alaska History, DVD & Video | Tagged Alaska, Buffy Saint Marie, Chief Dan George, George Attla, mushing, mushing history, mushing video, sled dog race, sled dog racing, sled dogs, Slim Pickens, Spirit of the Wind | Leave a comment

Yukon Quest 2015

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Helen Hegener

“People say I’m crazy- but I’m not the only one…” — John Lennon The 2015 Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race will start February 7 in downtown Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and travel 991 miles (1,594 kilometers) to Fairbanks, Alaska. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Sled Dog Races | Tagged Dawson City, Fairbanks, Helen Hegener, Mark Gillett, mushing, Northern Light Media, sled dog racing, sled dogs, Suitcase Media, Whitehorse, Yukon Quest | Leave a comment

They Were New Dogs . . . .

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Helen Hegener

From The Call of the Wild, by Jack London: “They were new dogs, utterly transformed by the harness. All passiveness and unconcern had dropped from them. They were alert and active, anxious that the work should go well, and fiercely … Continue reading →